The Valley was ready for the 10-race Cox Plate Day on Saturday, The Inner Sanctum looks back at all the races headlined by the $5 million Cox Plate.
First Race: Inglis Banner
First up on Cox Plate Day was a field of six all of whom were on debut over 1000m in the Inglis Banner as Arkansaw Kid was a popular choice to take first. As they jumped from one thousand and six were right across the track at 200 meters.
Sailor’s Rum led at 400 meters from Mexico and was followed by Arkansaw Kid. Optume sat comfortably in fourth place, neck and neck along with Count Your Pennies, and rounding out the field was Capper Thirtynine.
As they turned for home on the short 220m Moonee Valley, it was Mexico who had moved to take the lead from Sailor’s Rum and Arkansaw Kid gave himself every chance on the outside. With 100 meters to run, Arkansaw Kid moved up to take the lead and the Mexican victory featured a very strong performance on debut.
First up: 1. Arkansaw Kid
Second: 4. Mexico
Third: 7. Optume
Race two: Strathmore Community Bendigo Bank
Gates dropped back to second and it was Scissor Step who jumped the best, followed by Ancestry from an inside gate, with Esta La Roca settling into third as they traveled through the 300m.
Ancestry took the lead shortly after on the inside and moved a clear length showing no signs of slowing down. Race favorite Ashford Street was several lengths back and wide of the leader in fourth with Streetcar Stanger on her inside keeping good company and Mossman Gorge a long way off.
Heading home it was still Ancestry right in front as Scissor Step and Esta La Roca made a three-front row, behind them was Ashford Street who wasn’t gaining as much momentum in the straight. Scissor Step and Esta La Roca left, step by step and it was Scissor Step on a nail at the line.
First: 9. Step with scissors
Second: 3. There is the Rock
Third: 4. Ashford Road
Third race: Sharp Extensive It Red Anchor Stakes
The bell rang and they were off to the Red Anchor and the headliner caught them nicely breaking right through the gates. Shalailed quickly jumped into the lead from mid-pack as it was a race for lead and inside the track.
Through 200m Sweet Ride had a narrow lead over Shailailed but was caught outside the fence with Great Barrier Reef and Sejardan all within a length of the lead. The other in the field was Mr. Tickles and Sojustkoby and the King’s Consort circled the field as they began to turn to finish.
With 300m to run, it was Sweet Ride who established a useful gap from Great Barrier Reef with Mr. Tickles moving outside and Shalailed looked quick even behind the leader. Sweet Ride looked at home in the 150 leading by about three lengths and absolutely out of nowhere as tired leader Sejardan flew over the top and scored in third.
First: 1. Sejardan
Second: 2. Sweet journey
Third: 6. Shalailed
Race Four: PFD Food Services Crockett Stakes
They were away in the 1200 and the favorite Willinga Beast jumped only fairly from the seventh hurdle and then moved forward to take fifth place. Baythirteen was the leader and they were placed by Over Shady and Ever Glade, then came Birdies Galore as they traveled over the 800m mark.
With 600 to run it was a decidedly slow race as Bay Thirteen continued to lead the race, the favorite Willinga Beast moved to the outside and was toe-to-toe with the leader. Ever Glade and Birdies Galore sat about two lengths off the leaders with Wee Nessy and Running By just behind them in midfield.
Heading home it was five across the track as Pretty Tavi and Wee Nessy move to join the leaders. With 200 meters to go from the pole, Bay Thirteen and Wee Nessy broke away from the rest of the field in what quickly became a two-horse race. Wee Nessy slowly moved past the leader to take his third win from seven starts.
First: 7. Wee Nessy
Second: 11. Thirteenth bay
Third: 8. Birdies galore
Race Five: 3 Point Motors Fillies Classic
The ninth field was out and racing over 1600m and Zoe’s Promise was best to jump from gate eight, Booboo Boogie also jumped well to jump into second position. Race favorite Do It La jumped only fairly and then ran nicely into third.
During the first 600 meters of the race, Booboo Boogie and Zoe’s Promise remained the leading pair. Climbing Star sat third over the fence with Do It La on her outside. Next came Zest For Life and Starianne around mid-track, then a couple of horses back in last place lined up the outsider Queen Air with half a race to go.
As they began to turn for the judge, Zoe’s Promise left the inside open and the opportunity was seized by Climbing Star who almost took the lead, Do It La began to move on the outside as they were four wide with just 250m to go running. Climbing Star then took the lead as they headed but Zoe’s Promise with a second wind pinned Climbing Star over the line for what was arguably the best win of the day.
First: 1. Zoe’s Promise
Second: 7. Rising star
Third: 2. Do La
Sixth race: Schweppes Crystal Mile
In what was probably the most open race of the day, there were six ‘realistic’ chances to take sixth as they raced the Crystal Mile. The best jump was Military Expert, who quickly made his way through to take the early lead. This soon evaporated with Buffalo River and Gentleman Roy moving up.
Buffalo River claimed a lead after 400 meters and has no plans to hold a pace and ran away to lead by around three and a half lengths over Gentleman Roy. Next in the field was Callsign Mav and Military Expert rounded out the top four. There were no position changes until the turn for home.
Leader Buffalo River was looking to make the winner every post, Gentleman Roy closing with 300 meters to run, then from the back of the field making a very strong run was My Oberon who took the lead 200 from the pole and was not can catch with John Allen on board.
First: 5. My Oberon
Second: 8. Selection of bankers
Third: 4. Buffalo River
Seventh Race: Drummond Gold Vase
The three-year-olds were away just beyond 2000m and the favorite Berkeley Square, who had been dropped in class for this race, jumped quite nicely. It was Dashing who jumped into the lead from Pericles by around three lengths and as the field of ten settled into position, Beradino was third.
In the 700, Dashing pulled away but continued to lead and slowed the field up the straight. Pericles took second place. Berkely Square dropped to fourth followed by Sir Bailey in midfield. Trailing the field as they passed the 800m post was strong outsider Algendy.
Turning for home in the furlong with 400 meters to go, the two favorites Pericles and Berkeley Square moved forward and raced forward together as they headed. Virtuous Circle came from almost last and tried for three to test the judge, but the favorite Berkeley Square broke away at 50 and won by about half a length.
First: 1. Berkeley Square
Second: 2. The virtuous circle
Third: 3. Pericles
Race Eight: Mccafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup
In the longest distance race on the card at 2500m, it was Grand Promenade who was far and away the best, the Amazonian from the widest gate couldn’t get past in time at the first turn and had to cross the road to finally regroup the lead and inside the rail as the field went down the front straight for the first time.
Amazonian and Sepentine led by Nerve Not Verve out of Desert Icon and Grand Promenade. Sitting about a length behind this pack on red silk was Sacramento, then moving to the back of the field was San Huberto about 13 to 15 lengths off the leader as they passed the 1200 meter mark
It was still the Amazonian as they started home in the Gold Cup, looking to make every post a winner. Sepentine gave a good chase and really put pressure on the leader. The Grand Promenade moved forward as three deep, then moving straight from the outside was favorite Francesco Guardi with a brilliant run around six wide rails.
Francesco Guardi stormed across the field, threw off fierce rival Person and never seemed to be caught. The strong gelding and race favorite torched the rest of the field to win it by around four lengths at the line, even after easing to a jump.
First: 11. Francesco Guardi
The second: 5. The lunar flare
Third: 6. Persian
Race nine: Ladbrokes Cox Plate
Then eyes were on the main race of the day, the race in which champion mare Winx won a record four times, the Cox Plate. Gates fell and they were away at 2040m, the favorite Anamoe jumped quite poorly but gained track position relatively quickly, Zaaki was best, Alligator Blood was quick in the first 200m to move towards some money together with Profondo.
Anamoe ended up coming through the track to sit in the lead fourth position, next in the field was Young Werther then Law of Indices. At the back of the field in the 1600m were two of the ghosts in the race, I’m Thunderstruck and Mr. Brightside.
Zaaki kept the race on his own terms with Jamie Kah aboard slowing the Cox Plate to 1000m, Alligator Blood and Profondo dropped positions, and behind them was Anamoe and Young Werther still in fifth.
Down the back straight with 600 on the pole, Zaaki began to feel the heat of Alligator Blood who moved up just a half length. Anamoe from fourth moved wide to create a run and after just a push from James Mcdonald, Anamoe moved up to join the leaders but Zaaki was not going to give up with 400 cash.
With 200 meters to run, the mighty Anamoe “looks fate in the face” as the favorite took the lead and thundered down the Moonee Valley. Zaaki turned inside showed promise as Alligator Blood, but there was no catching the champion, a redemption story as commentator Matt Hill called it over the line “This time for Big A!”. While Ananmoe won the 2022 Cox Plate.
First: 10. Anamoe
Second: 2. I am Thunderstruck
Third: 12. Quiet life
Tenth race: Powerflo Solutions Tesio Stakes
The gates were dropped and the best mare to jump was Sirileo Miss and she got away from Miss Cartier. Next in the field as they passed from 400 meters was Savonia and the favorite Roots.
As they traveled down the straight, it was still Sirileo Miss by a length and a half to accompany Miss Cartier. Savonia and Roots stayed very quiet behind the leaders. Moving up the outside was My Whisper as well as Saigon and they were five wide rounding the turn with the favorite Roots where they couldn’t go while a length from the lead.
In the straight My Whisper turned nicely and was second wide of the five but was rewarded at 200. Sirileo Miss and Aegon have a good chase with Roots finally finding a gap on the inside but it was too late, with the very good My Whisper.
First: 5. My Whisper
Second: 6. Roots
Third: 1. Sirileo Miss
